Ian and the three others returned to Onigashima almost at the same time as Pluton.
They had just disembarked at the harbor when the Fish-Man troops sent the ship back once again.
Seen under the bright light, the massive vessel revealed an entirely different appearance.
Or rather, only now could its true form be clearly seen.
The entire ship was a dull, pitch-black color. Even under the blazing sunlight, it failed to reflect any noticeable sheen.
Even so, the enormous hull combined with the thick, heavy gun barrels lining the deck still gave off an overwhelming sense of authority and power.
All in all, Ian's first impression was simple.
An enhanced version of the Thousand Sunny.
"Ian! Is this it?"
Kaido was the first to arrive at the harbor. He walked to Ian's side, staring at the colossal object before him, his voice trembling slightly.
Ian gave a gentle nod. "You've been looking forward to this for a long time, haven't you, Kaido-sensei?"
"Wororororo! At least it didn't disappoint me!"
Kaido burst into laughter.
This was exactly why he had seized control of Wano in the first place.
For this very thing.
And now, at last, it was in his hands.
Even if he hadn't discovered it personally, what difference did it make if his disciple had done so instead?
"Now all that's left is the energy problem, right?"
Kaido said.
"That's right."
Ian nodded lightly. "The original energy source was almost completely depleted during the war against the World Government eight hundred years ago."
"At that time, Joy Boy and the others were already at a disadvantage. They had no way to construct a second energy facility."
That war back then had been one nation—Birka—facing an alliance of twenty countries.
Once Birka itself was destroyed, Joy Boy and his companions lost their base of operations. Naturally, they could no longer produce additional energy.
The depletion of Pluton's power source was also one of the key reasons for their defeat.
The reason they dared to challenge Imu in a final battle, aside from Imu's relentless pressure, was that Joy Boy and the others knew they could not afford to delay any longer.
If Pluton's energy were to be completely exhausted, they would truly have no options left.
What Joy Boy never knew, however, was that the weapon held by the World Government was also running out of power.
If the war had dragged on any further, no one could have predicted how the situation would ultimately unfold.
But now, it was far too late to speak of such things.
Next—
It's my turn.
Ian chuckled softly. "All we need to do now is wait a little longer."
Kaido nodded gently.
He already knew about Ian's plan.
After Kaido arrived, the other companions also came one after another.
The ordinary pirates had no idea about the ship's true identity. They only thought it was a new-type warship similar to the Winged Dragon.
They were amazed as well, but not to the point of being utterly shocked.
However, for the officers who truly knew the inside story, seeing this ship with their own eyes made it impossible to hide the excitement and thrill in their hearts.
An Ancient Weapon!
It was finally in their hands!
Controlling this ship meant possessing the power to confront the World Government head-on!
If both sides had Ancient Weapons, what was there left to fear?
In the crowd, Queen Otohime also came to watch with her youngest daughter.
Neither mother nor daughter knew the true origin of this ship, but the moment she saw it, Princess Shirahoshi's expression subtly changed.
The young princess suddenly covered her chest with her right hand, her face turning slightly pale.
"Shirahoshi?"
Her mother immediately looked at her with concern, holding her hand and asking anxiously, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
The little princess shook her head, her eyes filled with confusion. "I just feel like… this ship is a bit familiar."
"Familiar?"
Queen Otohime was stunned. "Have you seen this ship before?"
"I don't know…"
The little princess shook her head again in confusion.
She should have never seen it before, but for some reason, it felt strangely familiar.
"Ian!!"
Aunt Linlin and Redfield pushed their way out of the crowd, both of them wearing expressions of intense shock.
"This ship… could it be…"
Aunt Linlin's voice sounded like an old machine that hadn't been oiled in years, creaking harshly and dry.
"Well?"
Ian didn't try to hide anything. He turned around and asked with a smile, "Magnificent, isn't it?"
"It really is!"
Aunt Linlin almost stopped breathing, her voice becoming extremely faint.
Both she and Redfield stared fixedly at the colossal ship before them, as if everything else around them had faded away, leaving only this ship in the world.
Pluton!
Had the legendary Ancient Weapon truly fallen into Ian's hands just like that?
Aunt Linlin suddenly had a thought. She stared at Ian in shock. "You've brought the ship back so quickly… Could it have been buried in Wano all along?"
"Wuhahaha!"
Kaido's laughter was brimming with pride. "Otherwise, why do you think I chose this country as my lair, Linlin?"
Aunt Linlin fell silent immediately.
So from the very beginning, there had never been any chance for them to compete with this master and apprentice for Pluton.
Redfield also looked at Ian.
Truly, they had been completely underestimated.
This guy, Ian, had openly placed Pluton right in front of them, clearly believing they had no chance of taking it.
Wasn't that enough to show his disdain?
Eight hundred years ago, the mighty Birka had failed precisely because the ultimate weapon had been stolen by Imu.
Was Ian not afraid of history repeating itself?
But then again…
Redfield shook his head in resignation.
Imu had managed to obtain that ultimate weapon because he had used Lunarians.
But now, who around Ian could possibly be turned by them?
And, most importantly, would obtaining this ancient weapon even be enough to defeat Ian?
Logically, there should be no doubt—how could anyone surpass an ancient weapon? Not even Joyboy from eight hundred years ago.
But… was Ian really unbeatable?
Redfield found it incredibly hard to answer this question.
He had never seen how strong Joyboy truly was, nor had he witnessed Pluton firing in action.
But he knew, with certainty, just how strong Ian was.
**********
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